Way Home

Chapter 2: Nuisance

It had been three hours since the Star Seeker had set sail, and the sky above had changed from periwinkle to a deep royal blue, announcing the day's end.

Hyuka had gone uncharacteristically quiet, leaning against the bow of the boat and staring off into the distance. His hands were tucked underneath his chin and arms resting on the railings, blonde hair ruffling softly from the ocean breeze. Stars peeked out from behind some clouds, and the sound of water rushing past the hull beneath them graced their ears.

Yeonjun and Taehyun sat on the main bench of the deck, waiting for Hyuka to clue them in on what an earth they were going to do. Reality was sinking in - here the pair were, at sea, in the middle of nowhere, with no plan and a stranger that they impulsively had run away with. At least they had the compass.

The compass!

"I'm such an idiot!" Hyuka exclaimed, startling the pair behind him. He pushed back from the railing and began to frantically search his pockets, exhaling in relief when he pulled his hand out to reveal the compass they had stolen earlier back on Ruby Isle. It was black with gold markings, faint latin words embellished on the sides that were too faded to read. Hyuka rushed over to the two boys, waving the object in front of them and grinning madly.

"I was wondering when you planned on returning that." said Taehyun indignantly, reaching his hand out for the compass only for Hyuka to raise it out of his reach. "I have an idea. Since we have no other options, how about we just follow this compass and see where we end up? There's no maps on this boat, I checked earlier after we left."

Yeonjun bit his lip in indecision. "But we don't know where that could lead us, or how far we'd be sailing before we see land," he reasoned. "Plus I'm hungry."

"As risky as it is, I think Hyuka's right. It's not like we have any other options anyways. Your guess is as good as mine. I can't read the stars either." Taehyun countered. Yeonjun sighed and nodded. "Fine, let's try it." The pair of them stood up next to Hyuka. "Ready," Hyuka asked, "let's find our heading." He spun the compass, watching as the dial sealed their fate.

On an island not too far away...

"Council dismissed."

A man in an emerald cloak and golden crown waved his hand, signifying to his court the end of their meeting. He beckoned another man forth, turning his head to him.

"Soobin, what's next on today's to-do list?" the King asked. From behind his back, Soobin brought forward the parchment to his sire, placing it down on the table in front of him. The King scanned it, before nodding his head and handing the scroll to his servant, Choi Soobin.

"Thank you Soobin, you are dismissed now too." He relaxed in his throne again, and Soobin bowed to him before striding out of the hall. He let out a breath he didn't realise he was holding in as he walked the corridors, relieved to Have finished his duties for the day. Being head servant to the king of Emerald Isle was a tall order. His job wasn't the worst for sure but it didn't make it any easier. The soles of his feet began to ache as the weight of today's workload came down upon him. Choi Soobin was an excellent servant, the best in all of Emerald Isle in fact. But he hated it, having to wait on somebody else's orders and remain impartial even when the king demanded questionable things. King Wonho wasn't so bad, but Soobin really wished he could just run away from it all.

Soobin trailed the corridor, with a dazed head as he recounted the mundane events of that day. Not watching where he was going he let his feet lead him the way home, turning left onto a corridor and bumping into something - or rather, someone - and stumbling to the ground. Soobin groaned as he turned his head towards the figure, who ignored him completely in favour of rattling the lock on a door that he most definitely did not have the authority to open. Standing to attention, Soobin put his hand on his shoulder and the other man turned to him in annoyance - as if he, Soobin, were the problem. He had dark hair that fell to his shoulders, brown eyes, sharp features but cheeks that puffed out and lips that jutted out in distaste. Quite pretty, Soobin thought, like a teddy bear. "What do you think you're doing? Do you have authority for this door? I don't believe I've seen you in the castle before." Soobin inquired, trying his best to keep his cool around someone that had not yet spoken a word but still managed to intimidate the older.

"I'm not actually here, I'm just a figment of your imagination beanstalk boy." the other boy smirked, gesturing with his hands like a magic trick. He tried to shoo Soobin away with his hands, hoping that he would back off and let him continue his robbery - wait no he meant shopping trip. Soobin had enough by now, and pushed himself in front of the boy, separating him from the door he was so earnestly trying to open. He gripped his shoulder and pinned him to the wall. "How dumb do you think I am, you overgrown weasel - don't answer that - I've got you now, so don't try anything funny. Now answer me, what are you doing trying to break into the King's private chambers?" Soobin demanded. The other boy's eyes flashed with panic, before returning to the arrogant smirk from before. "Oops, my bad. I thought it was the broom cupboard." he quipped. "I won't hesitate to turn you in, if not for attempted robbery then for being an infuriating nuisance." spat Soobin. The other boy opened his mouth to speak, but a shout from a few corridors away cut him off.

"Where is that wretched boy!" yelled a knight as he rounded a corner to their corridor. Without a second thought, he grabbed Soobin's wrist and broke into a sprint, towing the taller with him by force. Down the stairs and out the gates, neither boy stopped for breath until they reached the surrounding forest of the castle. "What the hell!" shouted Soobin, rounding on the other man to give him a kick for dragging him into his mess. "Can't have you ratting me out, can I? Besides, you looked very bored with your job. You spent more time insulting than interrogating me. Can't be that high of a pay grade, can it? Being King Wonho's servant?" argued the other, cocking his head to the side. Soobin was about to reply, but this time it was his turn to be cut off as cries in the distance signalled the closing in of the knights. The two boys' eyes locked, and in a split second Soobin decided he agreed with the other - though he wouldn't be caught dead admitting that. He grabbed the other's wrist and began to run, a complete role reversal from their earlier marathon. They dodged trees and fallen logs, clambered over boulders and pushed past large branches for hours until finally, arriving on the other side of the forest onto a deserted beach. A lone rowing boat was beached upon the sand, with the sea behind it that stretched as far as the eye could see. The only other options in sight were a steep cliff or turning back to the forest. Wordlessly, the two boys strode toward the boat and pushed themselves out to water.

"Choi Soobin. Head servant to the King. 22. Reluctant to make your acquaintance." he offered his hand out for a shake. The other boy set the oar down, stretching out his own hand to the other and shaking it sharply. "Choi Beomgyu. Professional nuisance. 21. Likewise, beanstalk." 

AN: guess who's back, back again, tell a friend idk a moa maybe?? I've decided I'm going to continue this fic. I might not update on a regular basis until a month or so from now, as I'm so close to graduating from uni. But I pinky promise this will keep going and hopefully get better! I hope you enjoyed it so far. Feel free to let me know what you think! <3

Also shoutout to @adrianiniasta for making my day and encouraging me to update!

Anne